Dearborn Street Upgrades
Updated: September 11, 2019
What’s happening now?
SDOT crews installed a traffic diverter on the east side of the Dearborn and Rainier intersection on Saturday, June 1 which prevents people from driving westbound onto or across Rainier Ave S. See more on the traffic diverter below. Since the diverter was installed, our Traffic Operations team conducted vehicle counts and on-site observations in the area. We also received feedback from neighbors about how the diverter is changing traffic patterns, particularly at S Charles St and Hiawatha Pl S.
Based on that feedback and data, SDOT added northbound and southbound stop signs on Hiawatha Pl S at S Charles St - making this an all-way stop.
We expect that change to:
- Organize the Charles/Hiawatha intersection more clearly
- Facilitate smoother traffic movement on S Charles St
Please note that vehicles need to be parked 30 feet back from stop signs.
Check out our project follow-up FAQ for additional questions.
Watch this video for a feel of the new Dearborn protected bike lane!
Project Description
The Dearborn Street Upgrades project is now complete. The project included:
- Repaving and re-striping S Dearborn St from 9th Ave S to Rainier Ave S
- Re-striping and make minor pavement repairs from 6th Ave S to 9th Ave S
- Adding a traffic diverter at Rainier Ave S and S Dearborn St to decrease delays for people driving and taking transit and reduce the number of drivers cutting through the Jackson Place neighborhood
- Extending the existing protected bike lane to connect under I-5, upgrade traffic signals to include bike signals, and add physical barriers between people biking and moving traffic
Intersection of S Dearborn St and Rainier Ave S circa 1956
Project Area
This project area includes S Dearborn St between 6th Ave S and Rainier Ave S.
Why add a traffic diverter?
The intersection of S Dearborn St and Rainier Ave S, considered one of the busiest in the city, had a series of improvements as part of the project. To accommodate the width of the new protected bike lanes and allow longer green cycles for everyone traveling through the intersection, we are adding a traffic diverter to prevent people from driving westbound from S Dearborn St onto Rainier Ave S. This will decrease delays for people driving and taking transit on Rainier Ave S and help reduce the number of drivers cutting through the Jackson Place neighborhood.
Current % of Vehicles and Total People Volumes approaching the intersection weekdays from 4 – 7 pm.
* Best practice assumption of 1.6 people per vehicle and transit ridership.
Traffic studies at the intersection and Jackson Place neighborhood show how these improvements will make it easier and safer for people to clear the intersection in a timely manner, while improving reliability on bus routes along Rainier Ave S. Access to bicycle facilities downtown and along the nearby neighborhood greenway on Hiawatha Pl S will also be more convenient with the new intersection improvements.
Delay reduction percentages for people using transit and driving after diverter implementation.
To help people driving enter and exit the Jackson Place neighborhood, we upgraded the traffic signal at S Charles St and Rainier Ave S with a left turn arrow and left turn pocket.
Diverter will decrease overall delay at the intersection by approximately one minute when accessing the Jackson Place neighborhood.
Schedule
2015
Community outreach and project planning
2016
Project design and coordination with other projects
2017
Constructed first phase of work including installation of a buffered bike lane from 6th Ave S to just west of I-5 and from just east of I-5 to Rainier Ave S
2018
Starting in the summer and continuing through the fall, we are constructing the second phase of work:
- Repave and re-stripe S Dearborn St from 9th Ave S to Rainier Ave S
- Re-stripe and make minor pavement repairs from 6th Ave S to 9th Ave S
- Add a traffic diverter at Rainier Ave S and S Dearborn St to decrease delays for people driving and taking transit and reduce the number of drivers cutting through the Jackson Place neighborhood
- Extend the existing protected bike lane to connect under I-5, upgrade traffic signals to include bike signals, and add physical barriers between people biking and moving traffic
Community Outreach
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| Summer 2018 | Began weekly email updates and individual stakeholder meetings to inform neighbors about construction |
| July 10, 2018 | Delivered flyers to inform neighbors about construction start |
| October 24, 2015 | Drop-in Session #2 |
| October 20, 2015 | Drop-in Session #1 |
| October 20, 2015 | CID Preservation and Development Authority Mtg |
| October 13, 2015 | Jackson Place Community Council |
| October 11, 2015 | Bing Kung Association |
| September 29, 2015 | Chong Wa Benevolent Association |
| September 19, 2015 | Gee How Oak Tin Apartments |
| September 3, 2018 | Bush Hotel |
| August 27, 2015 | Nihonmachi Terrace Apartments |
| August 26, 2015 | Demingo Apartments |
| August 25, 2015 | Little Saigon Public Safety Meeting |
| August 19, 2015 | Eastern Hotel Tenants |
| July 6, 2015 | 12th Avenue Iron |
| July 1, 2015 | Bicycle Advisory Board |
| June 24, 2015 | Goodwill Industries |
| June 16, 2015 | Freight Advisory Board |
| June 10, 2015 | King County Metro |
Funding
This project is funded by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle. Approved by voters in 2015, the 9-year, $930 million Levy to Move Seattle provides funding to improve safety for all travelers, maintain our streets and bridges, and invest in reliable, affordable travel options for a growing city.
Materials
- Construction email archive
- FAQ
- Dearborn Street Upgrades Construction Fact Sheet (July 2018)
- S Dearborn St Safety Improvement Project Mailer (May 2017)
- Fact sheet (Summer 2015)
- Postcard (2015)
Environmental Review
We have determined that the S Dearborn St Arterial Asphalt and Concrete (AAC) Project will not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment. As a result, we issued a Determination of Non-significance (DNS) on February 5, 2018. This decision was made after review of a completed environmental checklist. The DNS and checklist may be examined through the links below:
The public is invited to provide comments on the DNS and checklist. Comments must be provided no later than 5:00 pm, February 19, 2018.
In addition, any interested person may appeal this DNS by submitting a Notice of Appeal and a filing fee to the Office of the Hearing Examiner no later than 5:00 PM on February 26, 2018.
Please see the DNS for more information on providing comments and submitting appeals.
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